Tuesday, 25 November 2014

Hey guys!
So I know its been a very long time since I last blogged and I do have my reasons this time!

Life has been very manic, I started a new job with a luxury skincare and cosmetics company (I wont name them as they have no affiliation with my blogging) its been fantastic and have enjoyed many weeks in London training, with the odd luxury dinner and hotel thrown in there for good measure.

We've had four little extra babies join our household, in kitten form of course ;)

They are all absolutely adorable, the final two are leaving home tomorrow and im super sad, I've been in tears this evening at the thought of them all being gone now, but very happy as they all have really lovely homes to go to with lots of new places to explore!

Aside from all the mania at home Myself and Samuel finalllyyyyy went on holiday this year for the first time in over 3 years, it was extremely well overdue, we actually went with his parents as we had never been away with them before.

We stayed in Matagorda in Lanzarote (where me and Sam had our first ever holiday together 7 years ago) and it was actually a really lovely time, we ate delicious food, visited beautiful underground caves and visited the old town where we first went all those years ago, of course there was a little shopping involved which I will be filming a haul video of very soon :)

The past few months have been a whirlwind, as my readers will know I suffer from anxiety and panic attacks and have previously been on medication for this which I can say after a manic few months of being all over the place I am finally medication free and have been for almost 8 weeks now and I feel so free and happy to finally be rid of the awful things, don't get me wrong I do still have all the same problems as before, I just manage them a lot better now with the added bonus of feeling like ME again!

See.. I told you I had my reasons ;)

Im really glad to be back to blogging again, I've been wanting to write a post for a while now but just needed the right time to come for me to get back into the swing of things and finally feel ready with myself to do so!

There are some huge things coming my way for 2015 and I literally cannot wait to share my journey with all you lovely readers, for now lets concentrate on Christmas and what the festive season brings us!

Thursday, 17 July 2014

After spending the majority of my late teens over dying, straightening, curling and excessive blow-drying I had well and truly ruined my lovely long hair!

Cutting it all off was just the first step and I literally couldn't believe I had super short hair after years of growing it, but the damage was still quite apparent through my hair as I had applied chemicals to it for so long i knew it needed some extra treatment, so off I went to my local department store to seek out the miracle product to get my hair back to feeling new and nourished.

Having a little wander around the beauty department the Aveda stand caught my eye, with those super large bottles of shampoo and conditioner, how could it not?

I knew the brand must be great as the demand must be high for their products to carry bottles that large!

Explaining my hair woes to the sales assistant she recommended to me the Daily Hair Repair from the Damage Remedy range, a product she uses herself due to her own over-dyed platinum blonde locks, she told me this literally saved her hair from falling out, I instantly snapped it up and couldn't wait to head home to try it out!

I was quite sceptical at first as the product itself is a rather strange consistency, it's almost like a serum/gel that you apply to wet hair and leave in, it seems almost like your applying conditioner to your hair, but after drying (no heat protectant used as it already has this in the product, perfect for lazy girls like me) my hair felt nourished, soft and supple with the hair repair literally undetectable!

I've been so impressed with this product, that along with my holy grail; Moroccan oil, I've added this to my hair routine consistently for months, I'm down to the very last drops of this and it's lasted for well over 9 months as you only need a 10p piece size amount for even long hair like I have and ill definitely be re-purchasing come payday!

Have any of you tried this or another product by Aveda as I'm super keen to try some of their other products too, let me know :)

Monday, 7 July 2014

Tiki Tiki Laranga, does this name just not have you imagining laying on the beach with your toes in the sand, a cocktail in hand and the sun shining down on your bronzed up body, it does for me!

Being trained in CND Shellac means I'm constantly making other peoples paws look bright and colourful other than allowing the time for myself to do my own, with that thought in mind I decided to take it upon myself to have a little treat and book in to have a mani/pedi at a salon near my home!

I must say the experience was soooo relaxing I could've fallen asleep in the massage chair whilst my feet rested in a bubbling warm jacuzzi stylefootbath with heavenly spa salts mixed into it!

I've never been someone who likes my feet being touched, I'm naturally a ticklish person so the thought of a pedicure slightly scared me, though I was pleasantly surprised as to how relaxing it was!

I opted for Tiki Tiki Laranga as I've been on the hunt for the brightest neon orange for too long so as soon as I spotted this on the swatch reel I instantly knew that was my shade for summer!

It's really is super bright, almost highlighter fluro bright, I love how it stands out so much and I feel slightly more tanned with it on, funny how colours can do that?

The whole process is simple, base coat for 10 seconds, colour coat x 2 for 2 minutes each and top cat for a further 2 minutes all cured under a uv/led light.

The finish is super high shine and you can instantly see the difference between gel and regular polish, the shine is just like nothing else I've seen before!

Adding in the fact it can last upto three weeks with no chips, scuffs or peeling, and best of all, Gelish still allows the nails to breath underneath meaning they grow long and strong, mine have started growing already and I can seriously notice the difference in strength since having the gel applied!

(Manicure after a week of having the gel applied, no chips!)

I'm so pleased I had these applied, as my nails after two weeks are still perfectly intact and look as fresh as they did when I first stepped out of the salon!

I'll definitely be converting from Shellac over to Gelish as the product is far superior to my original Shellac polishes and results after weeks of use are much better!

The scent is just so inviting, and literally feels the whole of my house within 30 minutes or so, now I'm someone who loves a candle to be smelt everywhere in the house, I have no time for spending money on something that smells good in the jar but not noticed outside of that, complete waste of beautiful scent in my eyes!

"Sun baked lemons, picked at the perfect moment of ripeness from the lush branches of the trees from a Sicilian lemon grove. Coupled with clean, fresh basil, this is a pure, energising scent."

I also love the simplicity of the redesign of the Neom brand, it's much more sleek and crisp now, before you had glass candles with neom transfer in gold, I feel the new look is much more me and this definitely aided my buying of two candles, bad for my bank balance, good for Neom's branding team!

I love the fact they come in a frosted white solid jar, you could keep these when there finished with and use them to keep flowers in, (sneaky one in the background from an old Yankee Candle with my peonies in) or for jewellery, sweets or little sample perfumes :)

Maintaining your candle is definitely key to maximising the burn time with these candles, always trim your wick and make sure you burn them until the top layer is completely even to ensure even wear throughout the life of the candle, burn for a minimum of 2 hours and a maximum of 4!

More on candle maintenance in a post coming up soon (who knew candle maintenance was a thing? Show of hands!)

Neom as a brand are fast becoming one of my favourite brands of candles, although I could possibly say that every time I purchase one from somewhere else haha!

The reason I really like Neom is due to the fact they are pure natural vegetable wax and 100% natural fragrance! now don't get me wrong im not a green peace fanatic but I do like the idea of burning natural scents around the home.

They are made up of 30-40ml of pure essentials oils and work to change your mood as they fill the air with scent when you breath it in, so breathing in natural oils make me satisfied I won't be breathing in any nasty chemicals or fragrances!

I'm super happy I picked these up and couldn't be more happy that I've finally dipped my toes into the Neom pond, I will be adding more and more to my ever growing candle collection very soon, so if you have any recommendations let me no in the comment box below, I love hearing from you all!

Good morning lovelies, so this post is spurred on by a recent trip to a theme park, whilst I was whizzing myself around on all those wonderful but dreadingly sickening rides it deemed across me that I just had to write a post about those 'day out essentials' everyone needs but not everyone thinks of when, ultimately there on there feet all day and only able to cram everything into one of those little side satchel bags!

Go to products have to be east to apply, effortless and last all day without needing to be reapplied as you don't want to be carrying around excess you don't need with you.

MAC Face and Body foundation is a life saver, it's waterproof, can be layered for heavier coverage if needed and looks super gorgeous alone, I apply this with the MAC Pro Longwear Concealer over my blemishes and using this little sample of the Prep and Prem primer so everything sits well on my skin and stays all day!

A few slicks of Soap and Glory's Thick and Fast Mascara as it doesn't smudge on the bottom of my eye area and is a one coat wonder, slap on a layer of Nuxe Reve De Miel Lip Balm (my favourite) and your good to go!

I use the Mitchum Pure Deodorant as it's super fresh, smells so good and lasts a good day without any need to apply more and no horrid smells emitting from those pits to worry about.

I add a few spritzes of a body spray to keep things light and smelling good, one of my favourites are from Victorias Secret, this Wild At Heart is beautiful, if you can have a spritz, do, I guarantee you won't leave the store without it!

People who know me personally know that I'm never seen without a trusty scarf, they have so many multi-purpose uses to them, tying in your hair to keep hair off your face, drape over your shoulders for a cover up from the heat, or to keep you warm when it's cooler or just to add a pop of colour to your outfit.

I always try to keep with these sort of styles above as they are super lightweight and can easily fold up into your bag for when you don't need it!

Scarf - Mango £19.99

(Image from Caroline's Mode)

Comfort is essential on a long day out, be it lots of walking, or a casual stroll at your own pace taking many photos of the sights, converse or any other type of trainer/plimsoll is a must.

My personal favourite are the white classic ones above as they pretty much go with everything, are super comfy and wash up incredibly well, always good if the day includes some sort of dirt!

The satchel/side bag is my go to, it's convenient to pop over your shoulder or just effortless and casual hanging on the side, they fit the perfect amount of essentials inside them without being bulky or frustrating to carry round with you, also it frees your arms up for those long shopping trips, meaning you can carry more things.. Hello more clothes ;)

All the above products kept me going for a super long day out and I wasn't needing anything I didn't take with me, I hope you enjoyed this post and let me know if you have any other ideas or pieces you take with you on days out.

Monday, 30 June 2014

So my skincare routine has changed up significantly since the last one I posted a good year ago, everything from my cleanser to mousturizer has been switched up and I'm loving the results I've been having from them combination!

This Garnier Miceller Water is seriously amazing, Ive always been against these cleansing waters as I they always leave my skin with a horrible texture and residue, this doesn't do either of those and I'm pleased I've found a good makeup remover that doesn't cost the earth.

Ok, so no I'm not sponsored by Clinique or being paid to write anything about them it just so happens that the rest of the products I've been using are by them.

I had been breaking out over the last fews months and wasn't sure what exactly was causing it so I decided to pick up these products as I'd heard a lot about them being really good for acne and blemish prone skin, the liquid facial soap lathers up and thoroughly removes left over makeup from the using the Miceller water and feels lovely on the skin, you could use this alone without a toner although I do like to use the toner as part of my routine as it ensures all traces of makeup are removed.

The toner is super clarifying and has a soothing tingle to it, the first time I used it I was quite shocked by how strong the tingling sensation was but after the second use I was used to it and actually enjoyed the feeling as it seems asif it is soothing everything after the cleanser!

Moisturiser is a step I'm quite lazy with, I do tend to forget to apply it and when my skin is breaking out I feel like I should avoid using it as it tends to make my skin worse, I know you have to go through the purging stage with new skincare so I've been trying to stick it out and give this a fair go, initially it feels light on the skin but it thickens up whilst rubbing it into the skin making it quite a rich formula, so far this has been fine with my skin and I haven't broken out any further than before hand.

The last step is to apply the anti blemish solutions spot treatment gel to any current acne I have, this works incredibly well at diminishing and reducing the size of any spots, it clears them much quicker than if I hadn't used anything atall, again this is a product that gives quite a tingle and can be sore if applied to any open acne but only lasts a few seconds, it dries out the spot and the next day whatever I have applied it to is practically disappeared.

I'm currently feeling really happy with my skincare routine and feel lik my skin has cleared itself up significantly since using these products, the clinique skincare range is something I would really recommend especially with people with acne prone skin!

I hope you enjoyed reading about the products that have been working for me recently, have you tired any of them?

Sunday, 29 June 2014

After just having a huge freak out whilst walking home from an evening out with Samuel, I'm now calming myself down with what I know best, talking about my problems, only I'm sat talking to you guys, people I don't even know but mean more to me than most of the people I really know!

So the last few weeks have been stressful, hard, frustrating and most of all bloody awful, my panic attacks have struck with avegence, my anxiety levels are currently sky high, and I'm left in a feeling I can't get seem to snap myself out of!

After having a full on crying/panic meltdown, literally the last few months flashed through my brain within a few minutes, I hate my job, I've had family issues, my house is constantly a mess, anxiety medication has been the bane of my life, stress currently isn't the word!

The medication I'm on to control my anxiety has been working perfectly for me for months now, i finally felt asif i had reached a stable point in my life where everything was good, i was feeling pretty much myself apart from the few stone i have subsequently gained from being on them, i was happy, until i recently picked up my prescription from my usual chemist and they had a different branded version of my tablets, i thought they would all be the same, i was so wrong, the new branded ones made me feel nervous, sick, shaky and generally made me feel like i was back to square one at the beginning on when i first started medication, i couldnt stand feeling like this so decided to take it upon myself to have one every other day, that way i could manage having a day off inbetween tablets but i literally dreaded the day i had to take them which was fueling my anxiety and panic further when i really just didnt need it!

Having watched a few of Zoella's video i understand clearly there are more of us out there than i know about, the response in the comments from others saying they too suffer with Anxiety made me realise its such a wide spread problem so i am very thankful im not the only person out there that feels this way, although i must admit i do feel alone with it a massive amount of the time!

Im not really too sure where this post is going or why im explaining whats currently going on in my little bubble right now, all i know is i needed to vent somewhere and i really dont want to hide a part of who i am with my readers, my blog isnt always about the perfect life, what makeup im wearing or what im currently loving, i am human and i have a different side to me that some people dont understand and i want the people out there who are also feeling this way to know, your not alone, there are certain factors in life we cannot control but we can ride the wave and come out the other side a bigger, stronger and better person!

Posting about my anxiety helps myself and hopefully others a great deal and I hope you all understand the need for me to write this post without causing offence to anyone!

Saturday, 21 June 2014

A random one for me, but today im going to profess my love for crystals, and no I don't mean those sort of crystals people believe give you healing and all that jazz, im talking about bath crystals, and those being the Burts Bees - Therapeutic Bath crystals!

The reason Im wanting to discuss these today is because im never a person to purchase something twice, I have to REALLLYYY like something for me to even consider buying it a second time and if I do love it enough I need to share it with you!

The way to use these are pretty simple you take a small handful and sprinkle them into a half full bath and that's literally it, no fussy bubbles, no nasty liquids pouring all over the bottle so you have to rinse it off, just a really simple product that gives you the most relaxing, aromatherapy spa style bath, they have a light scent which is very calming and I feel they really help me to breath clearly, and as I have mentioned in posts before as an anxiety sufferer, breathing clearly is a big deal for me and calming baths are a place I go when im feeling stressed or worried and these have been a god send for me, hence why I am onto the second jar of the stuff!

The salts contain Eucalyptus Oil which is where the soothing calming scent comes from, if you are unwell or have had a long day these will work wonders for you, think of when you use vicks in a hot bowl of water under a towel and the refreshing feeling these give you, they instantly make me feel 10x better if im feeling run down and they soothe aching muscles a gooden!

Another reason I love this product and the Burts Bees brand in general is because they are 100% natural meaning I don't have to worry about any nasties floating around in my bath with me!

These are a really lovely bathtime treat so if you ever feel like a pick me up, grab a tub of these pop the taps on, light some candles and have a long soak in the bath (just don't fall asleep like I have nearly done many a time).

Let me know if you have tried these or anything similar and how you got on!

Thursday, 19 June 2014

Evening my lovelies, so today im coming to you with a product which is new to me and that is the HD Brows - Pro Eyebrow Palette!

I picked this up after seeing a fellow blogger had written about it being a really good price on Ebay at the moment, the reason for this being that HD Brows have rebranded and redesigned all there packaging so the older packaged bits were being sold off via online stores so I instantly knew I had to buy this, and after just having come back from a Wedding I had done I realised quite how many different brow shades there really are and I wasn't quite catering to everyone's needs I had to make up!

I really like the older style packaging to be quite honest, its very sleek and shiny with the HDB logo on the front of the palette and comes with a HUGE mirror inside, I don't think I've ever seen a palette with such a big mirror inside, I find this super handy as you can see everything your doing and wont need to carry an extra one around with you!

The shades inside the palette are super versatile, you can cater pretty much any brow shade with these six shades, even though im mainly a mixture between the first and second shades I can see I will get a lot of use out of this as I mentioned before I will use it on my clients who majority of people I have come across have significantly darker brows than myself!

Another great use for this kit is that you could double up the use of the product and use them for matte shadows, all over the lids or for defining in the crease.

The pigmentation of the shadows are amazing, I was quite sceptical of the fact that I had purchased this from an Ebay store that it wouldn't be a genuine product and the quality would be rubbish but I for one definitely believe this to be a genuine HDB product as comparing it to other peoples palettes it is identical and the quality of the shadows is outstanding!

The shades in the palette are as below, you get some really great shades and they blend into the brows seamlessly, you cant see the visible lines like a pencil would give you and personally im a huge lover of shadow for the brows over any other product as it gives the most natural and flawless finish.

Wednesday, 18 June 2014

So in the few years I have been blogging, I never thought I would writing posts about 'water' but I am, strangely I have developed a little obsessing with the Avene - Eau Thermale Spring Water!

This product had been collecting dust on the top of my makeup stash for ages when I decided to chuck it in my handbag so that I actually got some use out of it, and considering the only reason I purchased it was because id seen a few bloggers with it in there bags also I thought there must be a reason for it.
I had been using this product as a makeup setting spray, which personally I don't think it does much for your face other than make powders look less cakey and considering I don't wear powder it pretty much was a dud for me, until the ever careful Samuel came back home with delightful sunburn all over his face back and shoulders that I whipped it out of the handbag and sprayed it all over him before bed, I have no idea what possessed me to think this would work, I just assumed it would cool him down but no, he awoke the next morning near enough pain free and a whole lot less sunburnt, couldn't be down to the Avene could it?
Well yes it indeed was as he continued to use it over the next day or so and it literally transformed his sunburn into a lovely golden tan, no peeling in sight!

I hadn't ever read the back of the bottle before but on doing so I was surprised to see what exactly the product is aimed at, as you can see from the photo below it has a whole host of things it works on and I couldn't believe a 'water' product could work wonders on everything from nappy rash to facial redness, luckily I do not suffer from nappy rash but facial redness I do and have used on makeup free days to calm down the clown cheeks just a tad!

Another little thing I have used this for is a little TMI but im afraid there's no boundaries where im concerned on this blog, I actually sprayed it 'down there' yes you can guess where I mean, I had a little sore shaving rash and it was seriously irritating me and I was finding it rather uncomfortable to wear underwear so I pulled out the trusty little can and sprayed away, left it overnight and woke to feeling literally no pain whatsoever, I know for many of us out there the bikini line pain can be abit of a problem and nothing has ever solved the problem like this before!

Im so impressed by this wonder water in a can that im 100% heading straight out the door to buy the larger bottle (or 2) if theres one product you invest your money into this year this must be one of them, I cant stress enough how much this has saved my life for some of those really inconvenient problems we all suffer from time to time!

Tuesday, 17 June 2014

Back with another lip love, im pretty sure most of you would of heard by these beauties by now?
The Bourjous Rouge Edition Velvets are pretty much amazing and have had such good press recently that i cant not speak about them, silky formula, extremeley pigmented , glide on the lips and have great staying power, how could i not like them!

Pink Pong is basically like Mac Candy Yum Yum in a stain form, i saw this featured of the lovely Vivianna from (VDM) and instantly loved the shade, also Amelia Liana was sporting this lip in one of her recent videos, it really is a universal shade that pretty much suits anyone!

The finish of this shade is very matte, which I really like, I've never been matte lip lover but the formula of these aren't drying atall, infact they feel quite moisturizing which is unheard of these days!

The second one I picked up was this absolutely eye catching red 03 Hot Pepper, the name for this really matches the product, it literally is pepper red, slightly firey looking, perfect for the red lip wearer!

The finish of this shade has a slight gloss too it, even though it is a matte product you can see from the photos it has a sheen to it which I actually find it makes the lips look fuller and sexier, this is one product you could wear out for the evening and feel pretty confident in wearing, and best of all because they are a stain you won't have to worry about reapplying it!

Im becoming a big fan of these and would like to add more of them to my collection, have any of you picked these up, what shades would you recommend?

Monday, 16 June 2014

So me and my candle obsession is going slightly over-board, hey im not complaining (think my bank balance may be?)
Ive recently purchased a Diptyque candle and adore it but this scent from Jo Malone has a special place in my heart, partly because of my Mother who has and adores the scent and the fact that it took me ages to trace it down, thank you John Lewis @ Oxford Circus, i LOVE you!

You also have to adore the packaging, Jo Malone definitely have there service down to a T when it comes to creating beautifully presented products, everything is spritzed with a cologne and placed in solid boxes with the JM logo, perfect for reusing around the home, i personally keep little keepsakes in mine, notes, small trinkets and memories of things me and Sam have had together!

The candles come with complimentary JM matches which are long and perfect for getting into the candle once its burned down meaning no pesky finger burns for me (this has happened too often).

Being presented with a JM bag makes you feel special and luxurious as the ladies make you completely catered for and leaving with a smile, and of course the gorgeous goodie inside that bag!

I couldn't be more obsessed with a scent if i tried, while i am still loving my Diptyque, Laura Mercier and White Company fragrances, JM have definitely hit the top spot in my candle obsession, i just wish they would introduce this scent into the body products, if they did i would be there asap with my card at the ready!

Do any of you have enjoy JM and have anything you recommend picking up as im so desperate to try some more from them, the Vitamin E body scrub is next on the list!

Sunday, 15 June 2014

Happy Sunday everyone :)
As i said in my previous post i recently had a little shopping trip in London, and i picked up a few beauty bits from Selfridges, this beautiful creation being one of them, i was instantly drawn to the MAC stand for obvious reasons, but this time they had an extra little area where they were advetising there new Playland collection, i knew straight away this was going to be a collection for me!
Bright candy pinks, candy floss, pastel unicorns, carousels and pink flamingos, you name it they had it there!
I picked up the amplified creme lipstick in Sweet Experience..

Candy pink, check!
Literally, this is the lipstick i have been searching for pretty much my entire life, the perfect baby pink, think of that pink your barbies wore when you were 10 in a subtler form, i love!

The formula is so lovely, creamy soft but incredibly pigmented, it doesn't dry out the lips, lasts a long time and actually feels quite nourishing on the lips, as far as lipstick goes this is a gooden!
You only need one swipe on the lips for this to be incredibly pigmented, i quite like either dabbing it on the lips or applying in one swipe but blotting off the excess, meaning this will last you a long time, especially good as it is limited edition, although heads up MAC you need to add this to the permanent line, pretty please :)

I hope you agree with me just how pretty this lipstick is, i do believe you cant pick this up online anymore, i have checked MAC & Selfridges and they dont have it online, but always check your local stores as they will still carry some of the shades :)